Water motor



Nov. 6 1923.- 1,473,,W3

J. T. JOHNSTON ET AL WATER MOTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5. 1922 final,-

Patented Nov. ti, 1%233.

ltd ll il lidl j t) QT ldidd td EDEN T. JOHNSTON AND JOHN KINCAID, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA,

CANADA.

WATER MOTOR.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN T. JOHNSTON and JOHN KiNcAm, citizens of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for deriving power from a flow of water in a stream or river and is of that class wherein the lower length of an endless chain of buckets is immersed in the stream, on which buckets the stream of water acts to propel the chain and the mechanism connected therewith.

The improvements are directed largely to the form of the buckets and their arrange ment on the chain whereby the water is delivered from one bucket directly into the next one in advance, and the impact and reaction of the water on the immersed buckets moves the chain so that the action of the water on one bucket does not interfere with that on another, as in similar water motors oi this class.

Attention will also be called to incidental features in the construction of the device whereby the parts most exposed to wear are simple in construction and readily renewable.

The invention is particularly described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional. elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the frame work with the bucket chain removed.

Fig. 3 is a tace view of the bucket. looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 7.

Fig. at, a transverse section of the bucket on the line il in Fig. 6.

Fig. 5 shows the manner of attachment of the bucket holding frame to the endless chains.

Fig. 6 is asectionoi the chain. and its supporting "frame, showing the bucket frame and buckets .in end elevation, the view being taken in the direction of the water flow, and

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the relation of adjacent buckets, as arranged between the supporting chains with two pairs of adj acent buckets in section.

, In these drawings 2 and 3 represent sprocket wheels secured in pairs at the required distance apart on axles land 5, one

at each up-stream and down-stream end of the water motor. The axles of these sprocket wheels are carried in bearings secured to the upper edges of the sides 6 of a strong channel frame forming with the bottom 7 a flume through which the water passes to engage the buckets 8 and 9 which aresupported between two endless chains 10, which pass around the sprocket wheels 2 and 3. From one of these axles 4 the power derived from the motor is transmitted by any suitmeans to the mechanism to be operated, and the bearings of the other one 5 are endwise adjustable as a tightener for the chains.

The underside or operative length of each chain 10 is permitted to hang slack to a certain extent, (see Fig. 1), and the bottom 7 of the channel conforms approximately to this curvature. The junction of the bottom 7 to the sides 6, (see Fig. 6) provides a ledge 12 to which a removable wearing strip 13 is secured to support the chains 10 in a manner to be described later.

The slackness of the submerged lengths of the chains 10 is maintained by supports afforded the upper length by a roller wheel 20 mounted in asupport projecting upward from each. upper edge of the side 6 of the channel frame.

The buckets 8 and 9 are secured in pairs between the parallel sides of open frames 14, the ends 15 of which frames are quartertwisted and secured to a projection 16 from the links of the chain 10 between which they are carried. A covering strip 17 is applied (see Fig 5) over the ends 15 of the bucket carrying frames, the lower end of which covering strip is bent round to form a removable wearing member supporting the chain on the wearing strip 13 secured to the ledge of the bottom 7.

The ends of each frame 14 are bent to conform to the closed ends of the buckets supported within them.

The conformation of these buckets form an important feature of the invention. It is the same in both buckets 8 and 9 but the open ends are turned in opposite direc- 1 tions to deliver the water laterally inward and outward alternately on adjacent pairs as carried in each frame ld.

This provision of open-ended buckets, oppositely directed laterally, is designed to (511- 110 a water, as indicated bythe arrows, and the pressure of that flow impacts on the inner surface of those buckets 8 which delivers the flow laterally inward and delivers into the closed ends of the next pan 9, and so on through all the immersed buckets of the chain.

; Each bucket 8 and 9 has a medial ridge 19 which is designed, while the bucket is clipping into the water at the: rip-stream end of the motor, to retain to some extent the flow of water in it. The delivery or open end of the bucket is narrowed in width, as shown in Fig. 3, from the closed receiving end, to

check free delivery of the water from it and to concentrate the delivery into the closed receiving end of the next adjacent bucket.

With this conformation and arrangement of the buckets, the stream of water is delivered from one-to the other of the immersed buckets and imparts a portion of its energy to each, instead of, as is usual in water motors of this class, the up-stream buckets receiving what energy they can derive, Whilethe remaining buckets in advance are in the eddy of the following buckets and are ineffectivelyworking in broken water. 7

Further, the buckets 8 and 9 are strongly connected to the chains 10 and those chains are sustained by the rubbing pieces 17 on the wearing strips 13, neither of which receives any part of the power transmitting strains and both of which are readily renewable.

Having now particularly described our in vention, we hereby declare that what we claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is: V

1. A water motor, comprising an endless chain of bucketsmounted to move lengthwise in a running stream, each of said buckets having a lateral delivery which is turned to opposite sides in alternate buckets.

2. A water motor, comprisingthe com- I bination with an endless flexible line passing around wheels, one length of the line being immersed in a flowing stream, of buckets connected to the line, said buckets, having a lateral delivery which is turned to opposite sides in alternate buckets to deliver.

the water laterally from one bucket to the next in advance of it on the line.

3. A water motor, comprising the combination with an endless chain passing around wheels one length of which is immersed in a flowing stream, of buckets connected to the chain relatively close to one another, said buckets having open sides providing escapeiof the water therefrom, the buckets being disposed on the chain with the open sides turned alternately to opposite sides so that the water is deliveredfrom one bucket laterally into the next one in advance of it on the chain.

4- Awvater motor, comprising thecombination with an endless chain passing around wheels one length of which is immersed in a flowing stream, of buckets con nected to the chain, each of said buckets having an open side providing escape of the water therefrom, the buckets being disposed on the chain with the open sides turned alternately to opposite sides and offset laterally so that the delivery of one is toward the closed end of the next one in advance of. it on the chain.

5. A water motor, comprisingan endless chain of buckets each having an open side, said buckets being disposed in pairs side by side with the open sides of each pair directed toward one another and from one another alternately on the chain.

6. A water motor, comprising in combination, two endless chains passing side by side around sprocket wheels, open frames connected to and extendingbetween the chains, a pair of buckets each having an open side secured within each open frame, the lateral opening of the buckets being turned toward one another and away from one another inalternate frames so that the delivery from one pair of buckets is toward the closed ends of the next pair in advance on the chain.

7. A water motor, comprising the combination with a flume through which a stream of water is directed, of a shaft rotatably' mounted in bearings secured to the edges of the flume at each end, sprocket wheels ,secured on the shafts, endless. chains passing round the sprocket wheels, open frames secured to the chains and extending between them and open sided buckets secured .in

pairs within each open frame, the open sides of each pair of buckets delivering toward one another and from one another alternately so that the water delivery from one pair of buckets is toward the closed ends of the next pair in advance of it on the chain.

8. A water motor, comprising the combination with a flume through which a stream of water is directed,- of a shaft rotatably mounted in bearings secured to the edges of the flume at each end, sprocket wheels se cured on the shafts, endless chains passing round the sprocket wheels, open frames secured to the chains and extending between them and open sided buckets secured in pairs within each open frame, the'open sldes of each pair ofbuckets delivering toward one another and from one another alternately so that the water delivery from one pair of buckets is toward the closed ends of the next cured to the chains and extending between them and open sided buckets secured in pairs within each open frame, the open sides of each pair of buckets delivering toward one another and from one another alternately so that the water delivery from one pair of buckets is toward the closed ends of the next pair in advance of it on the chain, and a continuous support for the chains throughout the immersed lengths.

10. A water motor, comprising the combination with a fiume through which a stream oi water is directed, of a shaft rotatably mounted in bearings secured to the edges 0 the flume at each end, sprocket wheels secured on the shafts, endless chains passing round the sprocket wheels, open frames secured to the chains and extending between them and open sided buckets secured in pairs within each open frame, the open sides of each pair of buckets delivering toward one another and from one another alternately so that the water delivery from one pair of buckets is toward the closed ends of the next pair in advance of it on the chain, means for continuously supporting the immersed lengths of the chains, a renewable wearing strip constituting such support, and a renewable wearing piece on each chain contacting with the wearing strips.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

JOHN T. JOHNSTON. JOHN KINOAID. 

